ADHD / ADD Support Group

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and attention deficit disorder (ADD) are more common than you might think. It is a syndrome that exhibits symptoms such as hyperactivity, forgetfulness, mood shifts, poor impulse control, and distractibility. Join others who suffer from these conditions and share your experiences.

Supplements/Helpful Foods for ADHD

Been reading a lot about foods that irritate ADHD and help with the symptoms. Also have been seeing a lot of postings about supplements/vitamins to use to help control ADHD symptoms. My son is 6 and has ADHD.

Anyone out there with successful foods/supplements/vitamins that help? Thoughts?

1. Eliminate all food colorings (very hard to do). This is one of the main principles of the long-proven and effective Feingold Diet.
2. Eliminate all nitrates (in sandwich meats, bacon, hot dogs, other processed meats) and preservatives such as sodium benzoate. (Another basic principle of the Feingold Diet).
3. Read about the Feingold Diet and foods that contain salicylates (certain fruits such as apples, oranges, and tomatoes). These can be eliminated although I have not tried this point.
4. Try the gluten free casein free diet (gfcf). This has been shown to help children with ADHD &amp; Autism (often thought to be on the same spectrum). Start by eliminating dairy. This diet is not easy, but its not as bad as you think. You can do it.
5. I have done a lot of research about supplements and vitamins and after all my reading decided on the following formula for 6-12 year olds put forth by Dr. Scott Shannon, Child Psychiatrist, in the book Please Dont Label My Child.
--Multivitamin
--200 I.U. Vit. E
--500 mg. Vit. C
--50 mg. B complex
--250 mg. calcium w/ magnesium
--1000 mg fish oil/omega 3 (probably the most important. Omega 3s are important for brain function &amp; improve focus &amp; mood). Try Nordic Naturals Jr. capsules (can be chewed or swallowed). Dont bother with the liquid. You will probably not be able to get your child to take it. My son takes all these vitamins in adult pill form. Its amazing!
--I personally have also included probiotics
--During my research I read a lot about zinc but have not included this.
6. Read the following books: Please Dont Label My Child by Dr. Scott Shannon, Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Allergies &amp; Asthma by Dr. Kenneth Bock, The Autism &amp; ADHD Diet by Barrie Silberberg.

I am currently doing all parts of my plan (except for #3) with my 6 yr. old son and have seen improvements. My husband and I have decided not to use medication with him. After a short trial of Concerta during which he immediately developed a pronounced facial tic among other things I renewed my efforts with natural remedies. It is very hard but definitely possible and not as hard as you think. Good Luck!

About a year ago; I read Bonnie Grimaldi's paper and diet related to Tourette's, ADHD, OCD, etc.etc. Sounds like what youre talking about is very close to the ts-diet from Bontech Supplements. They have a comprehensive multi-vitamin with Vitamin D, Calcium and Magnesium Taurate (hard to find). Bontech also provides fish oils (Omega-3 EPA/DHA etc.) I have some close friends who are on this plan, and I use these supplements for my 7 year old girl with ADHD (She was nonstop before the supplements-she has clamed down considerably)...We get it all from either bonniegr.com (mostly info/but includes some great testimonials - you can get direct if you want to email your credit info - not really secure) or www.bontechstore.com. (It looks like they finally set-up a secure webstore).

There are a number of diets that can treat ADHD naturally, and most of them have to do with eliminating certain foods or food additives that the human body cannot tolerate. As mentioned above, removing all foods with artificial colorings, additives, preservatives, nitrates, and salicylates can help reduce ADHD in children. Eliminating salicylates (a naturally-occurring pesticide in fruits and vegetables) is a little extreme and can risk aggravating existing nutritional deficiencies, but many parents with kids on the Feingold Diet have reported significant improvements by simply removing artificial additives. The gluten-free, casein-free diet is another popular nutrition plan for ADHD. Since your son is still young, it might be easier to implement these diets because his food preferences are not yet set.

A low sugar, high protein diet also helps improve concentration and brain function in kids with ADHD. This diet is premised on the fact that the brain derives most of its energy from the glucose in the bloodstream. Glucose is a simple sugar derived from carbohydrates, but a highcarbohydrate meal causes the body to release the hormone insulin, which makes other cells use the glucose in the bloodstream. This causes the bloods glucose levels to crash. A high-protein diet, on the other hand, will trigger the hormone glucagon, which slowly releases the glucose stored in the liver. Glucagon can provide around 8 - 12 hours worth of energy just enough for a day at school. In fact, studies recommend replacing the classic American breakfast of cereal and milk with protein-rich foods like peanut butter, toast, eggs, and meat.

There are also a number of supplements that can treat ADHD, particularly omega-3 fish oils, zinc, magnesium, calcium, and iron. But before you give these to your son, do see a specialist who can determine if this is necessary and at what dosage. Unless an expert identifies a nutrient deficiency, it is not recommended to give more than a general multivitamin to children.

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